Dede abandons plan to join Qatar

IRIB - Brazilian midfielder Dede has abandoned plans to become a "football mercenary" for the Qatari national team, after his Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund objected strongly to the move, the media reported here Wednesday.

Dede was quoted as saying that he was "90 percent" certain that he would not join the Qatari national football team. 

He said that he would not want "to get into trouble" with his current club over his Qatar plans.

Dede and his brother Leandro were among several foreign Bundesliga players who were lured by the Qatari football federation.

Desperate to qualify for the 2006 world cup in Germany, Qatar's national football head coach Philippe Troussier is pursuing foreign players to help his embattled team.

Qatar is already facing a tough battle to move beyond the first stage of the Asian world cup qualifier, as it lost its opening match 3-1 to football powerhouse Iran.